Snape finally makes good on one of his promises
by Stephen-Warner
Summary: Beginning of 4th year Harry gets mad and forces snape to make on one of the promises he made during the first class.


AN: I Do NOT own Harry potter, related trademarks etc.. this sis strictly fan made fiction in the universe belonging to the author of the first 4 books, one J.K. Rowling.

The doors of the library slammed back.

Everyone looked up shocked at such a breach.

The diminutive form of Harry Potter stood in the doorway for a second before striding forward.

He saw in front of him the librarian gaping at him.

He made a beeline to the restricted section.

He only stopped when she stepped in front of him and was screwing up her face in what she thought was an authoritative look but on her looked like a weasel trying to be cunning.

-'And what do you think you are doing young man?'

-'Stepping through the magical portal to fairyland.' He grinned manically at her. 'What did you think I was doing?' He had not bothered to keep his voice down as he spoke and he heard the gasps from around him.

-'Mr Potter you know very well that you cannot just walk into the restricted section, you need a permission from a professor.' She sniffed disdainfully. 'And you will keep your voice down in this hall.'

She did not expect the laugh.

-'I'm the fourth champion,' He stabbed his chest angrily. 'Or were you not attending yesterday when my name came out of the goblet?' He jabbed in thumb in the direction of the great hall. 'That means that I have unfettered access to the restricted section, now why don't you go cry in Snape's apron because you can't be mean to me either.'

He shoved passed her and entered the restricted section. There was a card catalog right by the entrance and it took him less then a minute to find what he was looking for. It was in keeping with the irony of his life that it was in _most potente potions _that he found what he was looking for.

He found the book and putting it in his backpack stepped out of the library. He made sure and wink at the fuming Mdme Pince as she glowered impotently at him from her desk.

* * *

He had been brewing for almost 2 weeks, almost all of the ingredients were common enough, only the red carpet dust and burned magnesium had required some rummaging to find.

The potion was bright like a star, shining even when he covered it in a cloth. He had to hide it at the bottom of his pack in an old sweater before it stopped shining.

Everyone ignored him as he stepped into the corridor.

Even the Slytherins' eyes glided over him like he was another first year.

He could not help but smile as Malfoy bumped into him and only after a double take realised he had bumped into Harry. Even then he did not do or say anything before the dark haired boy stepped around a corner.

He actually skipped with glee as this happened. It had worked. Now only the second part of his plan remained.

* * *

-'I reckon you were right mate someone is out to kill you.'

Ron's statement came as no surprise to Harry and he actually had to work to not show the scorn on his face.

-'Took you long enough.' He extended a heavy metal flask to Ron. 'Friends again?'

Ron and Hermione both grinned.

-'You two are such idiots.' She was sniffling as she hugged them.

-'Bottoms up mate.' Ron toasted as he started drinking from the flask.

It was a good thing that Hermione was turned towards him as she missed the bright glow going down Ron's throat. He was down right gulping it now, obviously the taste was to his liking.

When Hermione turned back he was greedily slurping what had dribbled down his chin.

-'Oh sorry mate I drank it all, I forgot sorry.' Ron looked genuinely contrived as he apologized.

-'It's fine Ron, I made it for you anyway, you enjoy it _a la lie_.'

As Hermione started hugging the other boy she barely heard the whisper coming from Harry.

-'Hallali!'

* * *

it started slowly.

People started congratulating them together rather then just Harry when they were together.

It struck Hermione as odd when rather then continue talking to Harry they turned to Ron and praised him for sticking by his friend.

It was during that stressful time before the Yule Ball that she voiced her suspicions for the first time.

She had been talking to Victor trying to get friendly when once again they had been interrupted by some air head trying to get his autograph.

The situation had felt familiar somehow.

She was racking her brain to find out if maybe when hanging with Harry this had happened before when it hit her.

She was hanging with Ron when it Happened.

They had been in the common room working on COMC homework and Lavender had asked him for help with divination.

It stuck because of it's oddity.

All three of them knew that Ron only made up his future rather then read the actual exercises and as she watched this Beauxbatons blonde she could read the body language, it was half admiration half pride. Admiration for the fame that Victor had, half Pride that SHE was the one talking to him.

She had excused herself there and then from Victor's presence and had gone in search of Harry.

There was something funny going on here.

She found him in the middle of the courtyard surrounded by a warming spell doing his homework in the weak November sunlight.

-'Harry I need to talk to you.'

She tried to keep her voice quiet as she looked around for possible eavesdroppers.

He turned to her amazingly unsurprised at her urgent tone.

Before he responded he pulled a parchment from his bag and showed it to her.

It was the marauder map. It was showing just the two of them in the courtyard, the nearest dot was almost twenty yards away and indoor.

-'What can I do for you Hermione?' He asked unconcerned.

-'I think something is going on with Ron.' She scrutinized his face as she said this.

Not a feature twitched on his face as he waited for her to continue.

-'I think someone or something cast a spell on him.' She paused as Harry repeated himself.

-'It looks like some sort of glamour that makes people …' She tried to vocalize the feeling she had had a minute ago. '… Like him.'

-'Like him?' Harry's quiet question interrupted her musing.

-'What?... No, not exactly.' She looked around trying to organize her thoughts. 'More like they think he's, …, famous or something.' She stared intently at her friend as he smiled even wider.

-'And that worries you because?' He asked softly.

-'Well it's Ron you know, just Ron,' She started picking up speed as things clicked into place. 'But they treat him like he's just as famous as, …,' She tried to find a good comparison for the level of worship he was currently receiving but even though Krum came to mind she was sure she could have named somebody else even more famous just a few months ago but now it completely evaded her. '… Dumbledore.' She finally finished.

-'Dumbledore?' He questioned.

-'No, more famous then that but I can't think of someone else right now,' She waived her hand in a dismissing motion. 'I half expect to see a chocolate frog card of him every time I open one or see his name in the paper in the morning.' She was gradually getting agitated as she failed to find an explanation for this change in her friend.

-'Did you think that maybe people are starting to give him credit for all the times he accompanied me on crazy adventures?' She could hear him modulating his voice to calm her down. 'Maybe it's simply time he reaped what he sowed.'

He stood up calmly and put his hand on her shoulder.

-'It's ok Hermione, he's still our friend, I'm sure all the fame won't go to his head too much.'

* * *

Harry sat back with Parvati next to him.

She seemed to be enjoying herself except when she glowered at her sister.

-'Would you rather be in her place?' They had adjourned to the dance floor and she had thrown yet another surreptitious glance towards the redhead.

She looked back at him hurriedly.

-'No, no. I'm good here.' She spoke quickly as she tried not to misstep.

-'I'm sure I could impose on my friendship with him to get you a dance,' He smiled. 'I don't mind at all.'

She bit her lower lip as she stole another glance towards her sister and her cavalier.

-'What will you do if I go and dance with him?'

He pointed to Hermione who was dancing dexterously on their right.

-'I'll go cut in over there and you can snag me back whenever you're good.'

As he smiled at her she nodded.

It was the work of a moment to step to the dancing couple.

-'Ron mate, you mind if I steal your date?' His friend jumped slightly at the interruption.

-'Uh sure, I mean if it's ok with you Padma.'

Harry did not miss the brief spell of thunder that passed over the young girls face but only because he had been expecting it.

-'Here, do me a favor and keep this lovely lady occupied ok?'

He gently pushed his date in his friends arms and twirled away with Padma.

He stepped away from the couple and started towards his other friend.

-'Come on, I know you want to stay but I figured you needed a change of scenery.' he smiled up at her and tapped Victor on the shoulder.

The man turned to him with an questioning look.

Harry put Padma's hand in his.

-'This young lady would like a dance,' He grabbed Hermione around the waist and pulled slightly. 'I'll keep this one occupied, you can have her back when you're done.'

Before any of the other three could reply he had turned around and was slowly twirling away from both groups with his friend.

She looked him in the eye for a minute before turning and looking at both couples.

-'You're a good man Harry Potter.' She smiled as she started moving in step with him.

-'Why thank you Hermione Granger and may I say what a pleasure it is to dance with someone as skillful as you.' he continued as the music changed to a faster beat.

-'Thank you Mr. Potter.' She was starting to get into this.

-'You know Harry sometimes I worry that nobody realises what a good man you are,' She continued looking him in the eye. 'Always stepping aside so that your friends can take all the glory,' She looked at Ron again. 'Even though you do all the dangerous princess saving he's the one that has, …, all, …, the, …, fame.' Harry could not help but grin ever wider as Hermione started putting all the pieces together.

As she lapsed into silence Harry felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see Krum standing behind him with his ever present scowl.

The-Boy-Who-Lived graciously stepped aside and let him grasp the oblivious Hermione by the waist.

As they started to dance he quietly stepped out of the hall. It would not be long before she figured it out. The beauty of all this was that she could not reverse it, only Ron could and then the only question was : Would he? And they both knew the answer to that one.

* * *

After the incident of the lake Harry had never been happier for his idea.

Skeeter had started printing slurs on him and suppositions that he was crazy or unbalanced.

Nobody cared.

There had been a three day series on the poor addled boy who lived.

By day three the Prophet had had it's lowest sales ever.

Skeeter had been summarily ordered to focus on something else.

Ron had happened by when Malfoy was trying to find something to do.

The next day an article appeared revisiting Mr Weasleys car. His "blunder" at the world cup had been reemphasized. Then Skeeter had tried to get an interview with Mrs Weasley about how she felt that her son had had to defend himself from mermen for the second task of the triwizard tournament.

Harry still laughed at the photo taken by the journalist as he was running from the burrow, it reminded him of those war correspondent pictures he saw sometimes, shaky and obviously taken while running backwards from a dangerous threat. In this case it had been Mrs Weasley hurling curses at them to the edge of their property for implying that her son had more then a little fibbed on his recollection of the events that led to him being put underwater for the second task.

He was putting down the latest copy of the Daily Prophet, Weatherby talks of his little brothers youth!, when he saw Hermione making a bee line to him.

He carefully folded the paper by his plate and picked up his glass.

-'I can't do anything Hermione.' That stopped her.

-'What do you mean you can't do anything, you don't even know what I want!' Her volume was increasing as she proceeded through the sentence.

He took a sip before replying.

-'You want me to undo whatever it is I did that makes Ron so famous,' He paused to give her a chance to deny it. 'I can't,' He put down his glass. 'I bottled my fame and I made him drink it, "_A la lie_" remember, now the only way it comes back to me is if he bottles it from himself and makes me drink, and let me tell you,' He took a bit of the bacon in his plate. 'It'll take some pretty serious circumstances for me to agree, let alone do it willingly.'

He calmly chewed another bite as he observed her.

It was obvious that she had come to him with the intention of demanding the truth, she had not expected him to calmly own up to it. She had been ready to force him into fixing it anything up to and including telling teachers about it however she knew that Ron was enjoying the prestige bestowed on him. Harry had been right she could see, he would continue with it to the hilt no matter what. She was trying to come up with a plan that would make Ron relinquish his fame and convince Harry to take it all back.

After maybe 10 mins of Hermione blankly staring at him Harry finished his breakfast and drank his milk up.

He was standing up to leave when she broke out of her reverie.

-'Wait, you have to help me.' She hurriedly grabbed his forearm.

What she, and the rest of the hall, had not expected was the great bouts of guffaw that doubled him over.

After almost a minute of this he had switched his grip so that she was holding him up rather then restraining him.

She was wondering if a bucket of water was going to be necessary when the laughter started to subside.

He was still chuckling when he straightened up.

-'Hermione, Dear, how many times have you heard me say I wish I could give him my fame and how many times have you heard him think so loud that he wished he could be as famous as me,' He was wiping the tears out of his eyes. 'Well that's two wishes granted now what you have to find out is what the third wish needs to be.'

-'The third wish?' She looked up at him as she wondered what he meant.

-'Yes, the third wish, now I'm going to be late for class, I'll see you later.' He kissed her forehead before disentangling his arm and turning away.

* * *

-'Hey Harry, wait up.'

Ron was calling out to him across the courtyard.

As The-Boy-Who-Nobody-Cared-Had-Lived turned around he spoke up.

-'Hey Ron, what is it?'

-'You got 5 minutes, I need to talk to you about Hermione.' The red head had a serious look on his face as he said this.

-'Sure, here?' He indicated the wide open space around them.

-'Mmmh, oh yeah sure why not, it's not a secret or anything, I'm just worried about her.'

Harry raised an eyebrow at the thought of his friend showing observational skills as well as concern for someone else.

-'Well then I'm listening.'

Looking around and lowering his voice a little he started explaining.

-'Well here's how it is. About a week ago she came to me and started spinning this crazy story about bottling your mojo and feeding it to me, something about how the reason everybody was paying attention to me now wasn't because of anything I did but because of you,' He looked his friend in the eye. 'Nuts right?'

The black haired boy had to hold on to his shoulder to not fall over as he started laughing.

-'Yeah that's what I figured, I mean it sounds crazy right. Skeeter's been spinning her yarn about me being a liar and all that but it sounds like she's jealous or something, like maybe it's not right that I finally get some recognition for something I did …'

He trailed off as Harry fell to his knees laughing.

He went down on his haunches to make sure his friend was all right but all his questions were answered by gestures as the Boy-Who-Was-Going-To-Die-Laughing couldn't get a word past his laughter.

He finally fell quiet and waited for his now prone friend to stop exploding in giggles every time he asked if it was what he thought of Hermione's idea that caused his laughter.

It had been maybe 5 minutes of uninterrupted laugh when Harry started holding his stomach.

-'Ow, Ha Ha, Ow, Ha Ha, OW.' he leaned his head against the ground and tried to stop laughing as his muscle protested with every bout of giggles that escaped his lips.

-'She's, ow, she's right.'

Ron fell back on his bum when he heard that.

Harry laid back on the ground hands across his stomach and legs extended.

-'Remember that drink I gave you after the whole dragon thing?'

He opened his eyes just enough to see the startled nod.

-'You liked it right?' He didn't look up to see the obvious nod. 'That was my fame,' He continued in the same quiet voice. 'You know the first day of potion, back in first year, that wanker told us about all the things he could teach us?' He tried to imitate the tone employed by the potion master. 'I Can Teach You How To Bottle Fame, Brew Glory,'

Ron picked up where he trailed off.

-'Even Stopper Death.' He continued in a subdued tone. 'So that's what you did? You bottled your fame and just fed it to me?'

-'Yup, and you enjoyed it, you drunk it down and licked the cup and, you gotta admit, the last 4 months have been fun right?'

Ron looked down as he remembered the fun he had had.

-'So what do we do now?'

The question came almost pleading.

Harry stood up before extending a hand to Ron.

As he pulled his friend to his feet he finally answered.

-'Not a blessed thing, you enjoy the fame and I enjoy the anonymity, the potion isn't some stupid mirroring spell, you actually drank all the fame, it's yours now, I couldn't take it from you if I wanted to and by golly I don't want to.'

Both friends laughed as they walked to their next class.


End file.
